


Making Amends

by IntoBeyondDarkness



Series: Fixing the Madagascar Timeline [3]
Category: Penguins of Madagascar
Genre: Bobble-head dolls, Crazy, Divorce, Dolls, Dolphins, Domestic Violence, Evil, F/M, Flirting, Forgiveness, Friendship/Love, Gen, Hearing Voices, Humor, Inanimate Objects, Insanity, Kidnapping, Lemur parties rule, Lemurs, Making Up, Partnership, Partying, Penguins, Return, Revenge, Suggestive Themes, Unbinding Marriages, puffins
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-12-27
Updated: 2013-12-27
Packaged: 2018-01-06 08:21:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1104586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IntoBeyondDarkness/pseuds/IntoBeyondDarkness
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Someone from Skipper's past returns and it affects the leader in ways he never would have imagined. Can the rest of the team help make this little (huge) and most odd problem go away?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

_~PoM~_

"Aha!" Kowalski exclaimed in triumph, slamming the final piece on his device, a funnel that acted as a satellite on the square machine in front of him made out of some batteries, a sardine tin, a microwave and a pie tin glued to the side. "I've done it!"

Skipper walked over, sipping some coffee from his favorite mug, a fish tail sticking out of the cup like normal. "So Kowalski, what is it you've done? Doomed us all? Written out our fate with some _other_  metallic contraption of pure destruction?"

"Very funny, Skipper…" Kowalski rolled his eyes. "But no, I've finally finished my wireless generator!"

"What's all the excitement then?" Private asked, walking up to the two elders along with Rico.

"Wazzup?" Rico shrugged.

"Good timing, boys. You're just in time to witness Kowalski destroy us all." Skipper congratulated.

"This machine is completely safe!" Kowalski argued. "I've even gone as far as to check in octuplets, meaning I've checked it over for flaws a number of eight different times. Each time turned up negative for faults of any kind. Nope, this baby is foolproof!"

"Well done, soldier." Skipper praised. "Maybe this invention will finally be the one that doesn't go wrong."

"For the sake of you being my commanding officer, I will take that as a compliment." Kowalski said.

Skipper patted him on the back. "And don't you forget it, mister! Now let's fire up this deathtrap- I mean, invention."

The analyst narrowed his eyes, about to say something but held his tongue. Instead he turned and fumbled with the buttons as he mumbled to himself.  _"Ignore it, Kowalski…He isn't going to be around forever…"_

"So what does it do?" Private asked.

"And what's it called?" Skipper cut in.

Kowalski blinked, still not knowing how he dealt with these people all the time. "Well, Skipper, it's a generator, and Private, it generates."

Private nodded, unsure and kind of confused. "Oh, alright, um K'walski? What's a generator?"

"Sounds lame." Skipper commented.

"It  _is not!_ " Kowalski glared at their leader and then sighed. "It's a wireless generator and it both absorbs and gives power through the airwaves."

"Well we can  _see_  that." Skipper rolled his eyes.

Kowalski blinked his, unsure of what the leader could see. "See what?"

"That it's wireless." The leader said like it was obvious. "Anyone with eyes can see that it doesn't have any  _wires_."

Kowalski scratched his head. "Well, Skipper, technically you're right. It is both wireless and wire-less. It is used through the airwaves without the use of cords, and it is also without wires. Both senses of the words are accurate."

Skipper scoffed into his mug. "And you think I know nothing about science. I've sure showed you, huh Kowalski?"

Kowalski sighed. "Yes Skipper, you manage to show me your levels of intelligence every day…And every day you give me a reason to be concerned for it. You really do."

"No need for concern, soldier. I won't replace you as options guy. A leader is never the voice of intellect, you should know that."

"Every day…" Kowalski repeated.

Skipper went on. "A leader is the voice of brute force. There ain't no force like brute force! Hoo-ha!" The leader exclaimed making a punching gesture.

"Yeh! Broo' for!" Rico agreed, high-fiving the leader.

"Yes, yes, I'm glad you all have your opinions on brawn over brains but perhaps if we're done opposing everything I hold dear, we could get on with my presentation of this brilliant and one hundred percent flawless new invention of mine." Kowalski said, gesturing over to the device.

"Show-off jar." Skipper called it.

"Yup." Rico agreed.

"Oh come on!" Kowalski complained. "It was barely even a pat on the back!"

"Alright Kowalski, I'll be fair." Skipper said. "Private's the tie-breaker. What do you think, soldier?"

"Well Skippah, I think you're right." Private said.

Skipper looked pleased. "There we go, he thinks I'm right. Show-off jar for you, Kowalski."

Kowalski grumbled as he pulled out a coin from somewhere and inserted it into the rather large and halfway full jar that the weapons expert was suddenly holding. The analyst glared at the private. "You _always_  think he's right!"

Private shrugged. "Well he is."

"I am." Skipper grinned. "And the sooner you realize that, the closer you'll be to taking over as commander after I've taken my leave."

"Yes, I am most certainly  _thrilled_ for that day, but hello! New invention! Life's work! Come on! I just want to test this thing out already! I'm so desperate I'll even let  _Private_ press the button!" Kowalski exclaimed.

"Oh yay!" Private cheered.

"Not  _really_." Kowalski rolled his eyes. "Why would I trust you with any type of technology? I mean  _really now_?"

"Oh…" Private looked down in disappointment.

Skipper put a flipper on the private's shoulder, glaring at the analyst. "Now you've gone and upset the boy."

Kowalski groaned, and pulled on his head feathers. "Permission to test out the invention,  _please_ , Skipper!"

Skipper shrugged and stepped out of the way.

" _Thank_  you!" The analyst said and walked over to his invention. "Now, this generator has the power to both give and take power wirelessly, which means through the airwaves. We can take energy out of any machine we want and place it in some other completely different machine! Or just take the power where it is then store in the microwave part of the device."

"But K'walski, the whole thing is a microwave." Private cut in.

" _Yes_ , but I was referring to the containment unit part of the microwave part of the device." Kowalski explained.

Skipper nodded in understanding. "Nice, but can it still cook food?"

Kowalski furrowed his brow. "Yes, it _is_  still fully functional as a regular microwave oven. But I don't see what that has to do with-"

"Oh!" Private suddenly exclaimed brightly. "Could we make popcorn in it?"

"Ooh yeh!" Rico nodded excitedly, wanting some popcorn too.

"I don't see why not." Skipper shrugged. "What's a movie night without popcorn? Definitely not a movie night worth mentioning to a villain if you're trapped and forced to make conversation with the guy. I say we make the popcorn."

"Popcorn!" Rico bellowed.

" _Excuse me!_ " Kowalski shouted, getting in front of the device to protect it. "It's not like I don't  _enjoy_ all the enthusiasm over at least  _some part_  of my invention, but no one's making  _popcorn_  inside of my wireless generator!"

"But what about movie night?" Private asked, worried.

"POPCORN!" Rico shouted louder and more demanding, daring the analyst to ruin movie night.

"No, no, Kowalski's right." Skipper said wisely. "We aren't going to disgrace his creation with the salty and buttery goodness that is kernel."

Kowalski nodded. "Thank you, Skipper. I appreciate your consideration."

"Oh yeah,  _anytime_ , Kowalski…" The leader said and waited for the analyst to turn back to the machine before whispering back to Private and Rico, reassuring them that Operation: Movie Night was still a go. _"We'll just knock him out, make the popcorn, and watch the movie without him."_

" _Yes!"_  Private whispered his quiet cheer, high-fiving a happy Rico.

"Woohoo! Yeh! Popcorn!" Rico cheered loud.

Kowalski was generally surprised as he typed into the microwave buttons with beep sounds. "I haven't seen you all so excited over something I've created since my Churrostifishinetizer, you know, the machine that made furros."

"FURROS! WHERE!" Skipper yelled, looking left and right. He saw the odd looks he was receiving. "Sorry...I'm still not over that one…"

"Right…well…" Kowalski continued awkwardly. "Should I…activate the generator now?"

Skipper nodded. "Oh yeah, sure."

"Here we  _go_!" Kowalski grinned madly and hovered his flipper over the 'Start' button on the microwave. "Sweet science, don't fail me now!" The analyst said and pressed the button.

The four penguins blinked as the only thing that happened was the microwave being turned on and now running, heating nothing.

Private blinked. "Is that it then?"

Skipper frowned. "I told you it was lame!"

"I don't  _get it_!" Kowalski shook his head. "I did everything correct, followed the details down to the letter! I even checked in  _octuplets_!  _Why_  isn't it working! *Sigh* I guess in my rush to finish I must have done something wrong. There's always tomorrow, I suppose. But at least there was one positive thing out of all of this."

"Is it the popcorn?" Private asked.

" _No_ , it isn't the- Would you forget about the stupid popcorn already! You are  _not_  making  _movie snacks_  in one of my inventions and that's final!" Kowalski shouted, grumbling to himself about 'life's work'.

Private looked to Skipper for reassurance and smiled when the leader gave him a nod and what was close enough to a thumbs up on a flipper, the leader silently telling him that they were still going to make the popcorn like planned.

"So what  _is_  the one good thing that came out of all this hassle, K'walski?" Private asked

"Skipper was wrong! Ah  _ha_!" Kowalski gloated.

"I was? And how is that?" Skipper questioned.

"My machine hasn't done anything so it also hasn't almost destroyed us! Your gut was wrong!  _Yes!_  In your  _FACE!_  HAHA!" The analyst suddenly realized who he was gloating to and coughed it off awkwardly. "Ah…sir…"

"Show-off jar." Skipper called it again.

"Yes, definitely." Private agreed.

Rico nodded. "Uh huh."

Kowalski grumbled and began to take out another coin when his generator started emitting zapping blue light. Then the light got brighter and brighter until the entire HQ was shaking violently and the penguins struggled to stay standing.

"Always right!" Skipper gloated.

Rico shouted in alarm in gibberish as the floor vibrated under his feet, the ceiling starting to crumble.

"W-what's happening!" Private asked in alarm, his voice shaking along with everything around them. "Sk-Skippah!"

"Kowalski, analysis, please!" Skipper shouted.

"I- I don't know! It appears to be getting ready to extract power from something! It's set to maximum energy extraction levels but there's nothing in here large enough to take that much energy from!" Kowalski said. "My gut says we're all safe!"

The device suddenly shot out this gigantic ten feet wide ray of blue light, which shot up through their habitat ceiling and disappeared. Everything immediately stopped shaking afterwards.

Kowalski stared upwards with his beak agape as far as it could open.

Skipper smirked and folded his flippers. "So very right, Kowalski!"

"Popcorn!" Rico exclaimed.

* * *

_~PoM~_

In a small two-man aircraft way above New York City, two pilots sat back in their seats. The two men finished off their laughs at the joke one of them had just told, just coming down from their chuckling induced highs.

"Ah man I'm tellin you. There ain't nothin better than flying over a large populated city." The pilot said with a satisfied smile.

"You're tellin me. There ain't no other way to live. It really don't get no better than this." The co-pilot nodded, placing both arms behind his head to relax. He sighed and looked out the window shield. Eventually his eyes wandered to a sculptured piece of art on the dashboard. With an amused smirk he used his finger to thump the toy's head. The sculpture's head bounced in response with its permanent painted smile. He snickered in amusement.

The pilot looked over and cracked an amused grin. "What? You like that thing?"

"Yeah, it interests me a bit. Why? You don't like it?"

The pilot shrugged, looking away from his flying to look over at his friend. "It's alright. Be better if we had a real lady in here instead of just some cheap piece of wood."

The co-pilot picked up the sculpted bobble-head, looking it over. He joked at his friend. "She's nice lookin enough for you. Why don't you take her for a spin?"

"Whatever, shut up and put that thing down, would ya? I gotta concentrate on flyin this thing."

"Whatever. Where'd you get this?"

"Found it on a Safari trip with the family down in Africa. It interested me too so I kept it. It's good company."

"What am I? Nothin?" The co-pilot scoffed.

"Oh you're somethin alright. Just put away the doll and help me navigate where we supposed to head next. We gotta drop off these packages and do our job. We gotta do it right this time and not lose the inventory. Look at the map. Which way we goin?"

"Heck if I should know." The co-pilot waved it off, too interested in the doll and bored to look at some stupid map. He got a better idea of what he could do and began shoving the feminine sculpture into the pilot's face, making kissing noises and other types of romantic propaganda noises. "Aye yo, kiss me and whatever."

"You think you's funny, well ya not. Knock it off before we crash!"

"We not crashin nowhere. Ya better not. I'm too cultural to die over here." The co-pilot said and shoved the doll back in the pilot's line of view, blocking his gaze out the window shield. "Now give her a kiss."

The pilot shoved the co-pilot's hand away with the doll. "I'm serious! You're gonna-"

An alarm stared to sound off and a red blinking light started to flash, indicating something out of the ordinary, like a malfunction. This happened only after a blue surge of light struck the plane, absorbing into its metal. The small craft started to jolt and shake.

"Yo what the heck was that!" The co-pilot shouted in alarm.

"We got a malfunction! Look!" The pilot pointed at the blinking red light.

The co-pilot looked at the red light for a moment before smashing it with the bobble-head doll.

The pilot narrowed his eyes in annoyance. "That don't fix nothin!"

"It was worth somethin!"

"We're goin down! Mayday and whatever! Brace ya self!" The pilot instructed as the plane lurched to the side, causing the co-pilot's hand holding the doll to jerk backwards. The bobble-head doll crashed through the glass to his right and the plane started to lose pressure as the air rushed in. The doll started freefalling down into the awaiting city below.

The pilot mentally prepared himself to crash, and started talking to his best friend, remembering no matter how much the guy peeved him that they were always there for each other through the tough times. "Yo I wanna say you're the best friend anyone could ever have. You always been there, even at Jane and mine's wedding you helped me through all the stuff. I just wanna tell ya that I- Aye, where ya goin?"

The co-pilot was too busy strapping on a parachute to listen. He took one last look at his ex-friend before making his way over to the plane door. "Your kids ain't yours and I been seein ya wife for the past eight years. I'm uh, I'm gonna walk out on her. Been nice knowin ya, pal."

The pilot blinked in muteness as he listened to the door being open, the rushing of wind and then the door closing as his friend jumped out. He sat there for a few more moments, saying nothing in the awkward silence as his plane went down with him in it.

* * *

_~PoM~_

"This is  _Chuck Charles_ , live, from the Big Apple! This just in, this is  _Chuck Charles_  here with some breaking news! It appears an aircraft has crashed here on the outskirts of the city after being struck by what witnesses believe to have been a giant ray of blue light. No one knows where it came from but we do have something to say to whoever could have been responsible for this tragedy. How do you live with yourself at night knowing you've ruined lives of such good people out there?"

"Uh, Chuck?" the cameraman whispered. "No one died. Everyone got out unharmed and perfectly fine."

"This is  _Chuck Charles_ , saying, I will find this murdering culprit! HOO-HA!" Chuck Charles exclaimed before back flipping off screen.

* * *

_~PoM~_

Back in the penguin habitat, Skipper flicked off the T.V. with a dismayed shake of the head. "Nice job Kowalski, not only have you managed to ruin the lives of innocent civilians but now Chuck Charles is your arch-enemy. You're gonna have to battle against  _Chuck Charles_. I wanna see how you're gonna live with  _this_  one."

"But I don't  _WANNA_  battle Chuck Charles!" Kowalski whined.

"At least no one was hurt." Private reasoned. "That's all that really matters, right? Rico? What do you think?" The private found himself looking around the HQ for the weapons expert. "Rico?"

The three other penguins turned to find Rico in the corner wiggling his eyebrows suggestively at his Miss Perky doll.

"Ey, how oo doin?" Rico growled at her.

Ignoring that, everyone went back to their previous conversations.

"Skipper, Chuck Charles isn't even a  _villain_!" Kowalski argued.

"Doesn't matter. You still put this unit in danger of compromise with your sciency-going to kill us all-gizmo. And since I know  _you're_  going to chicken out,  _I'm_  going to have to battle Chuck Charles in your place. Because of you  _I_  now have to pummel both Private's and all of New York City's favorite anchorman. Do you see what position you've now put me in, Kowalski? I'm already public enemy number one in Denmark, I don't need to be public enemy number one in the States too. I'm running out of places to  _flee_  to, soldier!" Skipper said. "And, since I'm always right, my gut says it's about time for some more training for you three. Especially you, Kowalski. I'm not taking on anchorman Chuck Charles all by myself."

"We do  _not_  have to take on anchorman  _Chuck Charles!_ " Kowalski retorted. "The man is  _mental_! And I doubt he's going to suspect a _penguin_  of all things to blame on this earth!"

" _All things on this earth_  aren't to blame for that plane crashing, Kowalski. You are. So everyone topside, pronto." Skipper ordered.

"Aye, Skippah." Private said and was the first to climb up the ladder.

Kowalski was second to climb up, grumbling to himself all the way up.

"Rico! Come on! Topside for training, soldier! Pronto!" Skipper called over to the weapons expert.

"Aye 'kipper!" Rico saluted at attention and said goodbye to his lady friend. "Cuhl me!" The weapons expert told her before running off and up the ladder third.

Skipper was last to come up the ladder, chuckling to himself. How he loved these crazy scamps he called his teammates.

* * *

_~PoM~_

On the streets of New York, an over-exaggerated man barrel rolled down the city's sidewalks. Chuck Charles jumped up into a stance, drawing the attention of many bystanders.

"This is  _Chuck Charles_  saying I'm following the trails in the sky of the mysterious deadly blue light and am going to follow this trail directly to its source! This is  _Chuck Charles_  reporting that I will not stop until I find this felonious scoundrel! HA-HOOHA!"

* * *

_~PoM~_

"Kick higher, Private! You have to get your enemies where it  _really_ hurts! Directly in the gut to lower their self-esteem! Don't you know they think they're better than you? They're not better than you! Now kick higher, soldier! Higher!" Skipper ordered.

Private nodded and concentrated on kicking as high as he could, hitting his target again and again with his foot. "Like this, Skippah?"

"Much better! Great job, Private! Next we'll work on taking the enemy down. Sometimes you gotta get down and dirty with the dogs to defeat your foe!"

Rico started playing dog on all fours, growling and barking as best he could, taking the advice literally. "Bark! Bark!"

"You too Rico, you tear that enemy limb from limb! Good boy!" Skipper praised and then look to his other two teammates. "Come on, Kowalski! You're not even  _trying_ to play a good villain! How's Private supposed to learn to destroy a villain's self-esteem if you don't act like a proper villain?"

Kowalski sighed as he felt the private's foot hit him in the stomach for the one hundred and third time. His punishment for nearly killing innocent civilians had been to play the role as the practice dummy. He had to stand there and let Private kick him in the stomach until the small penguin got it perfectly right and actually fazed him. Considering the fact that this was Private, the analyst knew he was going to be standing here for a very long time. So now he was just bored to tears standing topside on their makeshift ice flow while being repeatedly kicked in the stomach.

The analyst yawned as Private huffed and puffed trying to either knock him down or make him double over. Neither was happening.

"He's not…" Private huffed. "…falling down…Skippah…" He gasped tiredly.

"He'll go down." Skipper reassured. "You just have to keep trying, Private. Don't give up and make me proud!"

"Aye, Skippah!" Private replied and kept giving kick after kick into Kowalski's stomach.

"Skipper, with all due respect…don't you think you're asking Private to freeze sound here?" Kowalski inquired.

"What do you mean?" Skipper raised his brow.

"What I mean is, don't you think you're asking Private to do something completely impossible? Because there are two definite factors here. Sound exists in a continuum, and he is never going to be able to cause any serious harm to me well enough to topple me over." The analyst stated the facts.

Skipper rolled his eyes. "Well of course he can't if you're not playing a good villain! Who can learn with inaccurate learning material? I know I couldn't!"

Kowalski sighed. "You know what? Fine. What is it you want me to do?"

"Be a villain! How many times do I have to say it!" Skipper said. "Real villains are foul, rotten, and nasty! Not tall and cute and cuddly! Act, man! ACT! Bend forward so you have a hunch! Look mean! Act real mean! Kick puppies, Kowalski! Then use them to unclog your blender! Be a MONSTER!"

"Ah hm, alright." Kowalski nodded and bent forward, creating an evil glare in his eyes. The analyst spent a few intense and silent moments in full concentration, getting ready to be the best fake pretend villain the world's ever seen! But then he just gave up and sighed. "No, no, I'm just not feeling it… Perhaps I should build a machine that feeds off of kindness to completely flip the paradigm to turn the user into  _pure_ evil!"

Skipper rolled his eyes. "Yeah, because I can't see  _that one_  possibly going wrong."

"I can't pretend to be something I'm not, Skipper and I'm in no way a villain!" Kowalski said.

"Come on you guys! What am I doing wrong here?" Skipper asked.

"Nothing, Skippah. We can't do these things you want us to." Private frowned, shrugging. "We're just not as good as you."

"If you can't do something I expect you to, it isn't your fault, it's mine. I'm your leader, I'm supposed to lead you guys to do things that are near impossible, not the other way around. I must have went about something the wrong way…" Skipper thought aloud, trying to figure out what he missed. "But what was it…"

Rico looked up from playing a dog to see his leader contemplating something aloud and his other two teammates watching him. The weapon's expert noticed a shadow over Skipper's head, gradually getting closer by the second. This confused the thick penguin. "Huh? Whazzat?"

"Skippah, I don't think it's you at all." Private said, watching his leader pace. "It's us. We just can't do it."

Skipper ignored him, talking to himself. "What did I miss here? Come on, I'm not a mind reader! It's not like it'll just come to me magically or fall out of the sky! Boys, tell me what it is I'm not doing! I need a sign!" The leader looked up to the sky and started to shout. "If I'm wrong, let something STRIKE ME DOWN RIGHT NOW and let Kowalski take his turn in my place as leader! –OOF!" Something must have heard him because at this second something did fall out of the sky and take him down.

"Skippah!" Private gasped.

Kowalski blinked. "So does…does this mean it's my turn?"


	2. Alarm

_~PoM~_

"What? Technically, it  _is_  my turn. Skipper even said so before he passed on." Kowalski reasoned.

"Skippah isn't DEAD! He's just been knocked out by  _her_." Private glanced cautiously over at their guest.

Kowalski nodded. "Right…right, I keep forgetting."

"K'walski, how's this possible? How could she have come all this way to do something like this? To come all this way just to hurt someone?"

The analyst shook his head with a sigh. "Revenge is a powerful mistress. She often takes us out when we're least expecting it."

"Fate sure is cruel sometimes, K'walski."

"That it is, Private, that it is." Kowalski agreed solemnly.

"Ugh…" Skipper groaned as he lifted his head up off the ground. The momentary black out he had really gave him a headache…or was it whatever hit him that gave him that? Okay, ow, did the world always spin?

"Oh Skippah, are you alright?" Private asked, stepping closer.

"It hurts like the morning after drinking Johnson's special drinks…what happened?"

"We couldn't stop her, sir! She came out of almost nowhere!" Private exclaimed.

Skipper stood up slowly with a groan. "Her?" He questioned. "Her who..? I did  _not_  just get easily taken down by some wo-HUUUH?" The leader stared, beak agape at who was standing in front of him. "Y-you? B-But..! That's impossible! You're…you're here! You're actually…standing here! Uh, how…how you been?" He fidgeted and refused to meet her gaze. "…Doll-face…"

"Ou' boy." Rico rolled his eyes. He was annoyed that this was repeating itself again. Once again they'd have to deal with their commander under the influence of not one of Johnson's special drinks, but of his  _wife_. They were ridiculous together and the weapons expert was glad she got thrown out of the plane on the way to Monte Carlo after a very heated disagreement. Not only was it incredibly fun to watch but- Okay, maybe it was just REALLY fun to watch his leader toss her out of the plane in a fit of rage. He chuckled madly just thinking about it. "He he yeh!"

Private frowned and whispered to his two tallest teammates. "Is Skippah going to start using his angry words again?"

The small penguin remembered the most awful things they had to bear back in Africa. It was arguments all the time between the married couple, one after the other and all escalated from the silliest things. The yelling always turned out violent in the end between the two, even though all they could really hear was their leader shouting angrily at the top of his lungs at the hula woman. The doll would just stand there silently and it only ever made Skipper shout louder and become more violent with her. Violent as in screaming, of course. Their leader would never strike a female. But Hula Girl was the one who did the beating. If anything she was the most violent out of the whole relationship. She would hit Skipper and head-butt him with her bobbling head, throw him down and watch him struggle to get up.

Private would wonder why their leader would take all of that, and one day he asked why. All Skipper said was that she was his wife and he stood by her no matter how hard things got. Their leader even made up excuses for the bobble head; that she had a bad day or the other bobble-heads were looking at her funny and it upset her or just that he was the one who stepped out of line and deserved her abuse at times.

The private was scared of Hula Girl, fearing that one day her rage would one day fly over to them instead of their leader who could handle it and perhaps Skipper wouldn't stop her. He knew it was silly, that Skipper would never let anybody smack them other than himself, but if the leader was allowing himself to get smacked around then who else would eventually take a beating from this she-devil? Skipper's ex-wife was evil, he was sure of it. Now she's come back for revenge! Oh, this was just a terrible situation they were in! Skipper was already fumbling with his words! How long until the terror started and the screaming? Gah, he hated Africa! That's where so many huge animals to step on him and that was where the marriage was held that started it all!

Private sighed in sadness. "Skippah swore he'd quit using his angry words…"

"I'm sure we have a spare jar around here somewhere." Kowalski reassured. "Rico? Do you have one?"

"Yep. Tada!" Rico exclaimed as he coughed up a brand new empty jar.

Kowalski nodded. "Then I believe we're covered for the swearing."

Private frowned. "But for how long though? You know Skippah can never stay calm around her. She always starts some  _feud_  with him!"

The analyst narrowed his eyes, staring at the private and weapons specialist. "You both  _do_ know she's inanimate right? She can't actually respond to any sort of interaction."

"How do you explain them arguing all the time back in Africa then?" Private asked.

"We've been through this, Private. Skipper just has an imagination that's a tad bit on the overactive side." Kowalski explained.

Private shook his head. "What about the abuse?"

" _What_  abuse?" The analyst asked incredulously.

"Well you've got to be blind not to bloody see it!" Private gasped.

Kowalski gave a long exasperated sigh. It was starting again; the tension, the bickering, all the disagreements and being distracted by simple things that should very well be overlooked. And it only got worse from there. Again they'd have constant one-sided arguments between their leader and the piece of wood. Skipper would say something he thought he knew he was talking about, look for a reaction from the doll and would intercept it as something that needed to be discussed. The yelling would start and the 'silent treatment', and then their leader begging the bobble-head for forgiveness. Their missions would be shaky because Skipper would be too distracted by the wooden woman to concentrate on leading a single mission properly. It would all go downhill from here, just like it did when the two got more serious in the relationship, well before they ever said their wedding vows. Actually before Skipper proclaimed his undying love for her and Hula Girl just stood there silently in agreement because the doll wasn't real. She was an artificial, nonliving object, nothing more. He just wished he would have told his leader this a long time ago. The analyst hadn't wanted to crush his commander's feelings with cold hard scientific facts, and not only because Skipper would have smacked him into next week if he did. He never actually thought the two would _marry_! I mean who could have ever predicted THAT!

"Ah, Skipper…" Kowalski started. "Should we give you two some…privacy?"

Private gasped. "W-why would you want to give them ME?" He didn't want to belong to that wooden witch! He thought she was nice at first but she wasn't what she seemed, she just wasn't!

Skipper wasn't paying attention to his team, only focused on the bobble-head doll in front of him. "L-Look Lola… _Doll-face_ …I'm really sorry about what happened between us. If I could turn back time and fix everything then I would. But I can't. I know things went kind of south but I'm ready to start over if you are. So what do ya say? Truce?" The leader stuck out his flipper for a handshake. He stuck his fin out too far and tapped the doll.

Hula Girl staggered backwards on her flat wooden platform and then forwards before falling straight into Skipper.

"HULA GIRL!" the leader cried, cradling the fallen wooden woman in his arms. "MEDIC! _... **MEDIC! ! !**_ "


	3. Chaotically Animated

_~PoM~_

"Poor, sweet, Lola…I can't believe something like this could happen." Skipper said as he finished tucking the 'unconscious' hula doll with a bandaged head into his bunk. "I guess seeing me again was too much for her."

"I do hope she'll be alright." Private added in, watching the bobble-head's limp form in the concrete bunk.

"As do I, young Private." The leader put a flipper on the young penguin's shoulder, shaking his head in dismay.

On the other side of the room, the analyst groaned. "You both can't be  _serious!_ " Kowalski exclaimed. "She's a DOLL!"

"Kowalski! No flirting in front of the private! And she's off limits for obvious reasons! She's hurt. You don't take advantage of a lady when she's down! Have a little respect, would ya?" Skipper scolded. "And she's my ex-wife. You can't flirt with a guy's ex-wife. It's just not right!"

"She's a doll, Skipper!" Kowalski tried to tell him. "A doll!"

"You don't think I know that?!" The leader shouted back. "She's like a porcelain doll, such a fragile innocent woman and I broke her heart! How could I have been so heartless!"

"You are not heartless, she is!" The analyst pointed and then added exasperated. "Literally!"

"Lola isn't to blame for all of this." Skipper said. "I am, and I should have been…a better husband to her!" The leader's voice cracked as he tried not to break down. How could he have been so horrible to her? He drove her away with his charisma. It's always too much for people to handle! Even HE knew that by now! He was too much for her! This was his logic. "I…am the one to blame here!"

"Technically, you're right." Kowalski said. "It is your fault, but only because you didn't register her as what she really was. Not a living, breathing, life partner, but a doll. She is a simple  _doll_."

Skipper sniffed and glared up at the analyst, rubbing his teary eyes with the backs of his flippers. "What'd I say about the flirting?"

Kowalski narrowed his eyes. "I am not flirting! I am simply telling you that she is not actually a real pers-"

"Can it, Kowalski! Haven't I suffered enough?" Skipper asked. "First my ex-wife shows up…"

"Actually that marriage was only binding in Africa…" Kowalski pointed out.

"…Then she doesn't get a chance to accept my apology…" Skipper went on.

The analyst shook his head. "…Something she isn't able to do in the first place…"

"…Then she fainted…!" Skipper exclaimed.

"She didn't  _faint_ , she simply fell over-"

"KOWALSKI!"

"WHAT?" Kowalski shouted. "She's not real! I'm trying to tell you that she's just a-"

Private gasped and pointed. "I think she's waking up, Skippah!"

Kowalski rolled his eyes as his three teammates rushed to the bottom bunk where the doll was laid. "You've got to be  _joking_! This is ridiculous!"

Skipper was at the bunk-side in a second. "Lola, can you hear me? Speak to me, doll-face! Say anything!"

The Hula Girl stared blankly from the bunk, gravity making her shifted over to her side and miraculously nod her head a little, and to the three naïve penguins that weren't Kowalski, it looked like she nodded weakly.

"She's alright!" Skipper exclaimed in relief. "Oh Hula-Girl, don't ever scare me like that again! Ya hear me? I thought we really lost you! How's your head feeling? Is it okay? We bandaged it the best we could! Was that alright?" the leader asked frantically.

Hula Girl did nothing in return, and her painted face stared at them.

Private watched the exchange, blinking. "What's she saying, Skippah?"

Skipper blinked and stepped back. "She's not saying anything."

"That's right!" Kowalski gloated. "She's not saying anything, and do you know WHY she's not saying anything? It's because- oh look! She's not rea-"

"You're not really giving me the silent treatment again, are you?" Skipper asked the bobble-head desperately. "Come on doll-face, you're hurt! We gotta know about your condition! You need to say something, anything! It could even be an angry word! We both know how you like to scream those at me! What do ya say, huh? Will you speak?"

The hula bobble head said nothing, much to three shortest penguins' dismay and to the tallest one's expectance.

Skipper sighed and put a tender flipper on her side. "Alright, I guess you don't have to talk but could you at least let us change your head bandages? I kind of messed them up by crying all over them for the past…two and a half hours while you were out…yeah…so Kowalski, hop to it!"

"Me? Just what is it am I hopping off to do exactly?" Kowalski said astounded.

"We need you to change Lola's head bandages!" Skipper said forcefully. "Haven't you been paying attention at all? She said she'd let us change them! Now hurry before she changes her mind! You know how woman  _love_  to do that!" the leader rolled his eyes.  _Woman_ , he scoffed in his head. It made him want to go back to Denmark, you know? Where relationships actually made  _sense_ , but STILL ended with fiery explosions. Relationships always ended with the fiery explosions. Oh well, anyway… "Kowalski! Bandages, asap!"

Kowalski sighed in annoyance as he got the bandaging from drawer. "Don't you think this is a bit unnecessary, Skipper?"

Skipper looked offended in some way with his flippers on his hips. "Of course not! Why would it be unnecessary in the first place?"

"I don't know…" Kowalski drawled. "Maybe because…you know…there's just the slightest chance that this hula woman…ISN'T REAL! HUH? DID YOU EVER THINK OF THAT?"

"Shhh, K'walski! You're upsetting Hula Girl." Private said softly, trying to ease the doll's nerves by speaking gently to her. "It'll all be alright. None of us would hurt you. We're more afraid that you'll hurt us than anything…" The private said nervously and with a slight whimper.

"Oh come on, Private! Not you too! What have I told you about inanimate and animate from your shows and the real world? There's a huge difference!" Kowalski exclaimed, getting no agreement from the smallest penguin, he turned to the weapon's specialist. "Rico! How are you buying this too? What explanation do you have? Ri- Rico?"

The analyst blinked as he searched for his comrade and then found him in the corner with the Miss Perky doll.

Kowalski blinked and looked away. "Alright, I guess I can now blatantly see how you're going with all of this…But Skipper-"

"No but's, soldier! Now bandage this woman! Please! That's an order! She's an innocent civilian here!" Skipper commanded.

With a heavy sigh and much angry muttering to himself, Kowalski loosened the bandages on the wooden woman's head. He unraveled them off her head before wrapping a new and whiter wrap on it, tying it tightly in a nice bow. "There! I hope your very limited minds are happy!"

"Perfect!" Skipper smiled at the handy work. "Now that that's taken care of. I declare this day over and done with! Zoo's closed, its dark out and we're due for some needed R&R! Lights out in ten!"

Private turned to the bunks and was about to climb up the ladder to his when he noticed something. "Skippah? Where will you be sleeping? Hula Girl's in your bunk."

"I am aware of that, young Private. Which is why I'll be taking my R&R down here." Skipper said as he threw out a small blanket on the floor beside the bottom bunk.

"The floor? That doesn't look too comfy. The floor is for walking, not sleeping." Private noted.

"That is correct." Kowalski said and rolled his eyes. "Why don't you put it on the floor?" The analyst asked, gesturing to the doll and mumbled with a death glare. "I'm sure it wouldn't mind, not that it's  _able to_ …"

Private nodded. "K'walski's right, Skippah. I'm sure Hula Girl wouldn't mind sleeping on the floor for one night until we got the proper bedding prepared."

"Thrower uh flow!" Rico instructed, gesturing for the leader to throw her on the floor.

"Boys, I'm surprised at all of you! That's not how you treat a lady! You gotta rip your soul out for a lady and give it to her with a bow as a Christmas present! Don't you know that? I gave my soul to this woman, as hippie-centric as it sounds, and I'm not about to snatch it back like some foreign giver or disgusting puffin! No thank  _you_! I'm sleeping on the floor and that's that!" Skipper announced and lay down on the cold floor, his decision made.

Private didn't quite understand but he wasn't one to question his leader. "Alright. Goodnight, Skippah."

"Goodnight Private."

Kowalski shrugged with a grumble as the last of the lights went out in the HQ and lay back on his pillow.

Rico climbed up to his bunk and plopped down in a heap with a contented. "Oo yeh."

"Rico!" Skipper called up to the top bunk with a glare. "None of that in front of the lady, huh?"

"Oo uh yeh. Night, z'orry!" Rico apologized and turned over to face the wall with a wicked and deceitful chuckle.

Then all was silent as the essential timer of waiting of sleep to come was counting down. It didn't get past five seconds before blaring music started rumbling throughout the whole zoo.

_Hit it!_

_HEYO!_

_HEYO! Yea dat!_

_HEYO! YEEEAAYA!_

_HEYO!_

"UGH! Ring-tail and his garish show tunes and pop hits! Doesn't he know how to SLEEP?" Skipper growled and headed to the ladder. "I'll handle this!"

"Should we come with you, Skippah?" Private asked.

"Negatory. You boys just stay put and I'll have this nuisance taken care of in five. Kowalski's in charge in case of anything, there's Winky's in the fridge in case anyone gets hungry, Private you're in charge of taking care of Hula Girl, and don't think I don't know what you're doing up there Rico!" Skipper glared at the top bunk from the top of the ladder. The leader smacked the weapons expert's side, making him snap back to attention.

"Huh! Oo! Heh…" Rico grinned sheepishly and twiddled his flippers.

"Knock it off! I'll be back before you know it!" Skipper said and was gone out the hatch.

Kowalski had just laid his head back on his pillow hoping to at least get some rest through this grueling and most exhausting day when Private's head popped up into his bunk.

"K'walski, now that Skippah mentions it, I am a bit on the peckish side. Could you get me a Winky then?" Private asked.

Kowalski glared at him a bit more but sighed. "Yeah alright..." The analyst hopped down from his bunk to sulk over to the refrigerator. He took one out of the box and was halfway back to the bunks when the young penguin's voice spoke up again.

"Could you get one more? For Hula Girl then? I don't know why but I feel that she's hungry too." Private said, looking at the wooden woman.

"She is not  _hungry_ , she does not have a  _stomach_ therefore she does not need  _nutrients_  thus she does not  _eat_  and I am  _not_ getting her a  _peanut butter Winky!_ " Kowalski said impatiently, getting to the bunks and shoving the Winky into the private's flippers before crawling back into his bed.

"Well you don't have to be so tart about it." Private huffed and broke off half of his candy bar. "I'll just share her mine."

"I wouldn't do that." Kowalski said.

"Why not?" Private asked, already pressing the chocolate and peanut butter up to the wooden woman's mouth.

"You'll make a mess." Kowalski said but it was too late as the splat was heard. The analyst sighed and sat up. "You made a mess, didn't you?"

Private gulped and looked frightened at the chocolate splattered doll. "K'walski, I think I made a mess!"


	4. Whose Sanity?

_Making Amends._

_~PoM~_

"I don't even know why I'm bothering to  _do_  this." Kowalski complained, slapping down the sponge against the wet sculpted wood. "Another thing is I distinctly remember some ten moments ago giving you my humble advice. I calmly and suggested fully that you not do what you were about to do and you go on doing it anyway then repeat the same line I said as reasoning for you not to do it but in a different tense." The analyst scoffed. "As if I didn't know the reason why you shouldn't do it before I instructed you not to do it. Yet here I am in our bathroom huddled over a washing basin on my knees, scrubbing sculpted wood with a sponge to get off the Theobroma Cacao you so carelessly splattered over Skipper's inanimate past flame."

As this rant was going on Private was more concerned over how hard and rough the analyst was being with the doll as he spoke, as opposed to the actual lecture he was being given. He couldn't have followed it anyway if he tried but he kept flinching whenever the sound of the coarse side of the sponge raked loudly over the wooden doll. The small penguin twiddling his flippers as he thought of how to get it through to Kowalski that he should be gentler. Then came a particularly long word out of the blue and he furrowed his brow.

"Theo-what?" Private questioned.

Kowalski sighed as he allowed his flipper holding the sponge to sink into the tub of water at the doll's feet. He wiped his brow with his other flipper before giving the private an unimpressed look, saying monotonous. "The chocolate."

Private's beak made an 'o' shape and the analyst got back to scrubbing. He was doing it too rough again. He had to be hurting her.

"K'walski?"

"Mm?"

"You're…don't you think you're being a little too rough with that?"

"Rough with what?"

Private flinched again as another scraping sound made him cringe. "With hula girl. I think you're hurting her…"

"Private don't be ridiculous." Kowalski scoffed, looking back down to the rhythm of the sponge.

"I think you are though. Couldn't you be a bit gentler then?"

Kowalski sighed and failed not to show his weakening patience. "For the love of positively charged protons- I am not _hurting_  it, I am  _cleaning_  it from the mess you made! Now would you  _please!_ HONESTLY!"

Private stepped back to give the analyst some room with a frown and a small sigh.

"Thank you!" Kowalski said and got back to scrubbing off all the chocolate from the wood. He groaned in annoyance when he realized the spots on her skirt weren't going to come out as easily. It looked like he had to rub extra hard to get out those. His flippers started to pull off the garment.

Private gasped really loudly with horror on his face. "What are you doing K'walski!"

"I have to clean the skirt too, don't I? I can't leave it on and clean it. The stains would never come out so obviously I'm taking it off." Kowalski rolled his eyes. What did it  _look_  like he was doing? He moved to pulled it down again.

"Oh dear! Oh-" Private's cheeks were beet red and he peeked out of his flippers in sheer embarrassment. "Shouldn't we let her do that herself?"

Kowalski pulled back, throwing up his flippers. "What are you going on about now?"

"K-K'walski…you can't just take off her skirt…"

"Why can't I-" the analyst saw how flustered the private looked and he just couldn't believe it. "Oh. You think there's something anatomically- Right. Private, how do I explain this? Hm…how to explain…how to explain…Ah, here we go. There's nothing-…no I can't say that…She doesn't- huh no…wait! No, no…think…" Kowalski tapped his brain to get it to think quicker. "Aha! She isn't real. That's a good enough argument as any. There, I hope I've put an end to your worries."

"Maybe we should let her take off her own skirt in private." Private suggested embarrassed, not catching on to a single thing the analyst thought aloud about.

"Oh you have got to be…How about you wait outside?" Kowalski asked.

"I promised Skippah I'd watch her, but not like this. Let's go outside and wait for her to finish up. It's the respectable thing to do, K'walski."

Kowalski pulled his flipper away from the private trying to lead him out of the washing room. "Private I understand what you think you're talking about and it is very gentle-penguin like of you, but if we leave this inanimate object in here to do her own bidding it will literally take all of eternity and eons for her to finish, and for a scientific fact she never  _will_. Do you understand?"

Private furrowed his brow, connecting the analyst's actions in his head. His soft eyes hardened to a glare at the options guy of the penguin team and he frowned. "I believe I do understand…THAT YOU'VE GOT YOUR SICK AND TWISTED CAP ON!"

In the next second the bobble head was yanked out of the tub of water and swung at the analyst's head, connecting hard.

"What has gotten into you?!" Kowalski exclaimed, sitting up and rubbing his head.

"I know what you're trying to do! You stay away from us, you hear? Far away!" Private yelled, bolting out of the bathroom with the doll.

"What on  _earth_  did he think I was trying to do!"

"Ey wha g'non?" Rico walked in, pointing in the direction the freaked out private went in.

Kowalski exploded. "Before you comment on ANY of the matters being had here, let me just get ONE thing through your thoughts! That bobble head woman isn't real, DO YOU HEAR ME? SHE'S NOT REAL AND SHE'S DRIVING EVERYONE CRAZY! WHO'S SANE NOW HUH?  _ **WHO'S SANE NOW?**_ "

The analyst made a hasty exit out of the lavatory.

"Eh me?" Rico asked and cheered. "Woohoo! Yeh! Me!"


	5. Love Thy Neighbor

_Making Amends._

_~PoM~_

_HEYO!_

_HEYO!_

_HEYO! YEAAAYA!_

_HEYO!_

"Yes! Are you seeing de way I am popping and locking and grooving my groove thingies, Maurice?" Julien danced, moving just about everything on his kingly body.

"Yup!" Maurice agreed as he did his own dance moves, less than the king of course. He remembered the last time he'd danced better than Julien. It didn't particularly end well.

"Oh am I popping and locking tooo?" Mort asked, his own little break dance moves going across the big rock in the lemur habitat.

"No, you are locking and popping!" King Julien exclaimed as he did the sprinkler. "Dere is being a huge difference in dose two types of things! Mainly being dat locking and popping is sucking compared to my brilliant technique of popping and locking! Now pop and lock, Mort, like you have never popped it or locked it in your tiny life!"

"I won't fail you, King Julien!" Mort shouted before starting to dance his hardest to please his king, which went to waste because the king didn't even look at him for the rest of the night anyway.

Maurice panted as they kept at it, but he couldn't be getting tired yet. This was just the beginning of their all night dance party between the three of them. Speaking of the concern with the all night thing…

"Hey Julien?" Maurice asked as he did the noodle arms.

"Yes my most loyal-est subject?" the king responded, shaking his famous bottom to the beat of the bass.

"You sure this all night dance thing is cool with those penguins? I mean we shouldn't even be doing this this late. You remember what happened last time, and I don't feel up for ripping Skipper off of you again tonight."

"Do not worry, Maurice! Dis is being completely fine with de penguins! In fact, they said I can be blasting my music through the entire zoo all de time if I like!"

Maurice blinked in surprise, raising a brow as he too started to shake his rump like the king. That didn't sound like the penguins at all. "Really?"

"Of course…!" Julien said, swirling his hips. "Would I be making dis stuff up to you?"

_HEYO-_

The music was abruptly stopped as a loud yell erupted down below, the boom box making the sound of a record scratching.

" _RING-TAIL!_ " Came the furious cry of the penguin leader stomping up to their habitat.

King Julien turned to his adviser. "Eh, okay, I may have been making it up just a little bit…"

Maurice glared daggers back at the king, debating on really saving him from the penguin's wrath or not tonight.

"Ring-tail!" Skipper shouted angrily, already making it up to the rock platform with the lemurs.

"Oh hello neighbor! What brings you buy on dis fine night to my royal habitat?"

"Don't play dumb with me, mammal!"

"Eh, I thought we have established dis in an earlier episode dat I am not playing…"

"What's with all the racket, huh?" Skipper demanded.

Julien shook his head and laughed. "We are not playing tennis, silly penguin!"

"The music, Ring-tail! What's up with the music!"

The king looked around at the silence surrounding the thick night air. "Eh, what music?"

"The one you're playing at nearly three in the morning!" The leader snapped.

"I am not hearing any music playing." Julien said and looked to his adviser. "Are you, Maurice?"

"Uh, music?" Maurice blinked and knew better than not to side with the lemur king. That didn't turn out so well for him either the last time. Also it was probably best to lie right about now. "Nope, haven't heard any." The aye-aye shrugged.

Skipper's eyes softened as he realized he too didn't hear any more music. In fact, he hadn't heard any since he left the HQ to come complain in a violent manor. He knew he didn't imagine it. His boys had heard it too. Didn't they? He didn't ask…he just sort of stormed out in annoyance for the supposed music he had heard, or now thought he heard. He HAD heard music, right…?

The new expression of doubt on the penguin's face didn't go unseen by the lemur king and he played along with this little act, wondering where and what it would benefit him in the future.

"Yes, dat is most peculiar…" Julien tapped his chin, circling the arctic bird in fake curiosity. "You are hearing de music…but we are not."

"I can turn the music back on for you, King Ju-OOF!" Mort was promptly kicked out of the lemur habitat by an interrupting royal foot.

Skipper watched the sad-eyed mouse lemur fly across the zoo, flinching at the impact that followed. That and a furry arm being rested around his neck which he narrowed his eyes at cautiously.

"Tell me…bossy penguin…" King Julien began in fake sincerity. "Is everything being alright at home…?"

* * *

_~PoM~_

"WOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Mort cried as he flew across the zoo, before finally making his landing, in the penguins' fishbowl with a loud thunk. "Oh ow!"

Seconds later, the bowl was pushed aside with him in it and the private penguin emerged from the hole entrance looking very peeved and pulling up a wooden doll behind him up onto the fake ice flow.

"Hmph!" Private snorted down at the hole in disgust for his fellow teammate. How dare he try something so barbaric as such! That Kowalski was one to watch out for he was!

"Oh hiii Private penguin!" Mort smiled.

"Mort?" Private blinked. "What are you doing here and why are you in our fishbowl? Are you hungry then? You know you don't eat fish don't you?"

Mort frowned, staring at his stomach. "What do I eat?"

"Oh Mort, you're a lemur." Private picked up the mouse lemur and set him on the ground, beside the fishbowl instead of in it. There was no sense in letting the little guy start to smell lie fish all day long. "Lemurs eat fruits and things, not fish!"

"Oh, okay! I'm not a penguin!"

Private chuckled. "No Mort, you're not."

"What am I again?"

"A lemur."

"Ohhh okaaay! What is her?" Mort asked, pointing to the doll standing next to the nice penguin with its head bobbing in the wind.

"She? Oh this is Lola, Mort. She's, well, she's an old friend of Skippah's."

"Is she a penguin?"

Private frowned, staring between the bobble-head and the little lemur with uncertainty. "Well, no. She's not a penguin, but you don't have to be of the same species to be in love!"

"Oh, you don't?" Mort asked, blinking.

"No, of course not! Couples come in all kinds of different shapes and sizes and breeds!"

"They do?"

"Yes!" Private nodded frantically, unaware he was talking to almost a brick wall. "I've run into all sorts of crazy couples all over the place!"

"You have?"

"Oh yes, incredibly so."

"Ohhh okay." Mort blinked and tilted his head. "Like whaat?"

Private frowned as he thought but soon found himself chuckling. "Anyone can be together, Mort. You were there. Don't you remember all the different types of couples we've seen on our trips?"

"Oh no, I don't remember." Mort shook his head.

"Well I'll kindly remind you if you want to know." The young penguin told him.

Mort just blinked at him.

Private frowned. "Do you want to know?"

"Now?"

"Yes, now, Mort."

"Oh okay. Yes. I want to know now."

Private sighed and started, trying to remember way back into 2005. "Oh, well how about a hippo and giraffe?" They had been a lovely couple he remembered.

Mort blinked clueless. "Oh, okay, those aren't the same thing."

"No they're not, and what about a zebra and an okapi then? They made a nice pair, you know, while it lasted at least. Oh!" Private remembered and sighed dreamily. "A penguin and a reindeer… how marvelous that one had been. That one was me! And hmm… a lion and a jaguar, and one that you should remember well, a lemur and a grizzly bear! Do you remember that one well, Mort?"

"Oh okay." Mort shook his head. "I don't remember it."

Private shrugged. "Oh well, I guess some can't think that far back. But now do you understand, Mort? Love can be anywhere! It's very magical it is."

"Ohhh okay." Mort nodded. "What about a penguin and a penguin?"

Private raised a brow and narrowed his eyes. He didn't know the little mouse lemur could be so closed minded. He guessed his little lesson didn't really take. "Well yes, that would be one natural way of love…"

"What do I eat again?" Mort asked blankly.

Private just sighed and started to scoot the little lemur along. "We should probably get you back to your habitat. I bet Maurice and King Julien are worried sick about you. Well, Maurice anyway…"

"Can she come too?" the mouse lemur pointed to this lone bobble-head behind them on the ice flow.

The private bit his beak. He'd almost forgotten about her! He couldn't just leave her, not even for a moment. He had promised Skipper he'd look after her. "Well of course because she can't just stay here by herself, it's not safe. That's also why I have to take you home now where it's safe for you." Private said as he led the mouse lemur by his hand out of the penguin habitat.

"Oh, okay." Mort nodded. "And where is home?"

Private sighed wearily as Lola just nodded her bobbled head.


End file.
